Tandoori Chicken

Name: Tandoori Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, skin scored; 1 cup plain yogurt; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 tsp tandoori masala; 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 2 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oil; Salt, to taste; Lemon wedges and sliced onion, for serving

4 servings20 min prep30 min cookEasy India

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Tandoori Chicken

Story updated September 17, 2026

Tandoori chicken is credited to Kundan Lal Gujral, who began cooking chicken in a clay tandoor oven at his Peshawar restaurant before Partition, later relocating the recipe to Delhi's Moti Mahal in the 1940s. It became one of the most internationally recognized Indian dishes of the 20th century.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, skin scored
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp tandoori masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oil
Salt, to taste
Lemon wedges and sliced onion, for serving

Instructions

1Score the chicken pieces deeply and rub with lemon juice and salt; let sit 15 minutes.
2Whisk yogurt with ginger-garlic paste, tandoori masala, chili powder, turmeric, and oil.
3Coat the chicken thoroughly in the marinade and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
4Roast or grill the chicken over high heat, turning occasionally, until charred at the edges and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.
5Baste with a little extra oil halfway through for a deeper char.
6Serve hot with lemon wedges and sliced onion.

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